MSI Wind U123 gets Windows 7, better battery Powered by Intel Atom

We’re far enough in the Windows 7 life cycle that we can pretty much take it as read that new laptops will ship with Microsoft’s latest operating system, while venerable older models will be refreshed with the new OS. MSI’s own venerable netbook, the MSI Wind U123, has finally replaced Windows XP with Windows 7… the gimped Starter Edition, that is.

Oddly, though, MSI didn’t choose to bump the specs of the Wind U123 with the addition of the new operating system. That’s odd, because while Windows XP’s licensing agreement only allows companies to install it on netbooks at an affordable cost if the hard drive maxes out at 160GB, the Windows 7 restriction is a more manageable 250GB.

MSI didn’t choose to beef up any of the specs of the machine. Instead, you’ll find the same cut-and-paste spec innards crammed inside: a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display and a 160GB hard drive. Expect the stock standard 3 USB ports, gigabit Ethernet and multimedia card slot as well.

However, there is a bright side to the new Wind U123: it’s now shipping with a 9 cell, 7800mAh battery. That’s actually a hell of a battery, which will certainly make up for any loss of battery life you might experience jumping from XP to Windows 7, with a couple hours of juice to spare.

You can pick up the new MSI Wind U123 with Windows 7 Starter Edition for just $379.99.